Sunday Funday was a little different this time around with it being a celebratory event. Yours truly had his 35th birthday, so I celebrated the only way I know how – with cold craft beer and good friends.
To start the evening, we made our way to Nobi Public House in Webster, which is one of my favorite stops for enjoying good food and a terrific selection of beer. As always, I enjoyed my pork banh mi sandwich and a pint. Since I had a designated driver for the evening (thanks, honey!), I knew I could throw caution to the wind and enjoy a few without having to get behind the wheel. Note: ALWAYS drink responsibly and make sure to have a designated driver or someone to ensure you have a safe trip home!
First up on tap was a beer I had not tried before, 11 Below Brewing’s 7-Iron. An American blonde ale that was very sessionable and smooth, yet a bit unflavorful for my taste. I really got more of a lager flavor than a blonde taste. 11 Below says it has a hop flavor to it, but that did not come through at all. It could possibly have been the batch because there was little carbonation and others that have tried it mention the hoppy finish and carbonation in the beer.
Next, I decided to go to a trusty favorite in Hops & Grain Porter Culture. This dark porter beer has a heavy smoky flavor with a dark chocolate/coffee bitterness that is very pleasant. The toasted malts in the beer almost give it a hint of toffee flavor with some of the sips I had. There isn’t a whole lot of carbonation with this beer, giving it more of a coffee feel, but this one certainly is one of the best to enjoy on a cooler day. Once the Texas heat subsides, this will be a regular staple of my fall and winter lineup.
Sticking with the Hops & Grain theme, I then switched to The One They Call Zoe. This pale lager has a very floral flavor to me tasting earthy and grassy at times. You certainly can catch the citrus aroma when bringing it to your lips and there is an orange peel taste within the beer itself. This beer if much more sessionable than the porter, but the style difference makes it hard to compare.
Finally, we finished the evening at Nobi by having Martin House Brewing’s Salty Lady gose. The name certainly rings true as this is, by far, the saltiest gose I’ve ever tasted. In fact, it was so overpowering that it made this completely undrinkable. Understanding that this batch may not have been indicative of the beer itself, I’m willing to give it another try. This beer came highly recommended by a friend of mine who is a fan of nearly all Martin House brews, so perhaps the next try will be more to my liking. The mixture of salt and lemon flavor made this beer so tart that halfway through, I ended up calling it quits.
Determined not to let a bad experience ruin my evening, we transitioned the party to Boondoggles Pub in El Lago near Clear Lake. This pizzeria also has quite the impressive on-tap beer selection emphasizing heavily on Texas craft beer. First up at Boondoggles was, in my humble opinion, the best hefeweizen ever created, Live Oak Hefeweizen. Live Oak executes simple beer styles to absolute perfection better than most breweries in the state. Between their award-winning pilsner and their perfection-in-a-glass Hefeweizen, they are hard to beat. Usually when this beer is on tap anywhere, it is my first choice.
Live Oak Hefeweizen pours cloudy and golden in color, but you immediately get the banana and clove flavor off of the first taste. It finishes so sweet that you can’t help but take another sip to quench your thirst. What separates this from other hefeweizens is the level of carbonation that is executed perfectly throughout the beer to not leave you feeling uncomfortable, but rather satisfied and wanting more. Perhaps the best take on a German hefeweizen made in the U.S. today.
Finally, I finished the night with 8th Wonder Dome Faux’m. Although this is one of my lesser favorite beers, you can’t help but love the name as it takes you back to the old days of the ‘Dome and the house beer, affectionately called Dome Foam. This cream ale is best enjoyed on a warm day as it is very light and easily sessionable. Has a grassy taste to it, but its hoppiness doesn’t really bring out a ton of flavor on this beer. I prefer this when beer when winding down a night as it is light and easily drinkable.
As I mentioned, I did not drive, so rest easy in knowing that after six beers in roughly six hours, I felt fine but I still wasn’t irresponsible. What a night and I hope to have more nights where I can not only enjoy some of my favorites, but try some new Texas beers to keep things fresh.